


Hiraeth

by GardenEye



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beautiful Cities, Cults, Experimentation, Explicit Language, Idolization, Modern Era, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Monster Hunters, Other, Titan Eren Yeager, Titan!Eren, World Travel, diversity, gentle giant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25243393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GardenEye/pseuds/GardenEye
Summary: The intelligent titan has been dormant for nearly two hundred years, hidden beneath the crushing weight of the sea. When he awakens to see that humans have progressed further than one could imagine with towering glass buildings and flying metal birds, he isn't sure what to think.Neither are they.[Modern Titan Eren AU]
Comments: 52
Kudos: 204





	1. The Bottom of The Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> The name ‘Rogue’ for Eren’s titan is inspired by Redcoaster’s fic ‘Rogue,’ however, these two fics are not connected by any means!  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I would sink to the bottom of the ocean with him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to finally get this out, I've been working on it for quite a while!  
> Also, just a warning beforehand: I know it's tagged but this contains explicit language!

The ocean and its flattery expands through powerful waves and unseen currents, claiming anything that falls into its clutches. Various sea creatures and ocean life reside beneath the deep green waves, carrying out their lives as the natural order would have it. The large creatures feed on the small, they reproduce, they live, and then eventually they die. It's a simple cycle, but one that contains much importance. 

Beautiful coral reefs and seaweed forests provide shelter for the diverse ecosystems and its inhabitants, while other creatures thrive in open, bottomless waters. However, one of these inhabitants is horribly, painfully out of place. 

Deep at the bottom of a kelp forest untouched by man lies a gargantuan of a being. He lies lifelessly nearly sixty meters below the ocean's surface, partially hidden by a layer of sediment that is to be expected after staying dormant for two hundred years. Long, green kelp stems that contrast against the teals of the ocean sway left and right above his head, acting as direct lines to the aggressive waves above. 

Emerald eyes flicker open, face emotionless for mere moments. The saltiness of the water doesn't seem to irritate his corneas, either that or he's too drowsy to care for the sting. His head feels clouded as if blanketed with a layer of seafoam, and he's unsure if he has slept for two hours or two thousand years. Before the being can assess his surroundings, a small, silver scaled creature flits across his vision, completely capturing his attention. His greens follow every movement of the small fish as it innocently swims in quick, fluent movements above the complexion of the fifteen-meter titan. He strains his head back as the fish begins swimming through his brunette locks, mistaking them for reeds.

When the small fish doesn't come out of his hair, assumingly having taken shelter in it, Rogue averts his gaze towards the warm rays of sunlight sifting through the water's surface. Despite being asleep for two hundred years, his body is drained and weak. His skin desperately absorbs the small amount of sunlight that's able to reach him. Quite a few things are apparent from the moment he woke up. He's underwater for some unknown reason. Because of that, he can't breathe. However, titans don't necessarily need to breathe to survive. His body feels murky, the soupy layers of sediment surrounding him making him desperately want to clean himself. 

His eyes observe the swaying Kelp reeds in wonder, watching as their color eventually morphs to yellow as they get closer to the sunlight. Small colonies of similar fish and colorful seahorses dart in between the seaweed beds that surround his body.

He notices that his normally heated body is cooler than usual. Due to not breathing (which acts as temperature regulation for his species) and being in the depths of rather cold body of water, it's not much of a surprise. He'd sigh if he was able to. Rogue tries to recall how he got here and where he was last. However, his memory is in shambles. He doesn't remember even being near the ocean's edge, let alone drowning. He isn't sure how long he's been down here, but he knows luck isn't necessarily on his side. 

knowing what has to be done, Rogue tenses his abdomen and upper muscles, slowly maneuvering his body into a sitting position. At the sudden movement, the small silver fish from earlier darts from his hair and swims off to an unknown destination. Multiple sea horses around him that resided in the seaweed beds flitter away as well. Rogue then crosses his aching legs and places his arms in his lap, taking his time to observe the peaceful scenery around him. 

As much as he'd like to admire the unknown kelp forest, he knows that he's been down here for far too long. With one last glance at the rippling surface of the water, he extends his legs and stands upward, the pressure of the water slightly throwing him off balance. He then pushes off the sediment with his feet, a titan-sized crater being left in his midst. His massive form disturbs the currents and kelp colonies around him. He kicks his legs, propelling himself upward while shaking his head to rid his hair of sand and soil. 

It doesn't take him very long to reach the surface. He claws upwards with outstretched arms until his head breaches the water. He's a coughing, choking fit when he manages to finally rid his lungs of ocean. It pours out of his mouth like a waterfall, leaving a salty flavor on his tongue. He struggles to tread water, not having done it very much in his past, but manages to get a steady grasp on the action. 

Tendrils of kelp brush across his limbs as he maneuvers them back and forth. Breathing heavily with irritated lungs, he takes time to properly observe his surroundings. Judging by the position of the sun, it's late afternoon. As unideal as that is, Rogue's thankful to have gotten some sunlight before nightfall, even if it wasn't much. Various seagulls soar elegantly above him and the ocean's waves. A light, frothy foam coats the top of the soft waves around his figure, the water tinted green with the sunlight's angle and the high amount of plankton in the kelp forest below. 

However, none of these beautiful factors fully catch his attention. What does, is something completely different. Off in the far distance, the very, _very_ , far distance, he catches sight of land. Not only land, but a beach. One that is populated by tiny specs he can only assume are humans. 

Rogue is familiar with humans, after all, he'd interacted with them in his past. Although he isn't sure how long he's been hidden beneath the ocean, humans are always humans, right? They can't have changed that much... He remembers having a considerably good reputation with the humans of his time, as he joined forces with them to eliminate titans and whatnot. He had gained the trust of nearly the entire population of the humans living within the walls and had made quite a name for himself, too. They would call him 'The Rogue Titan,' a name he had become familiar with. 

A slight guilt and remorse pools in his gut at the comrades he'd left behind. He had vowed and successfully eliminated the majority of the titan population with them, only to abandon them at the bottom of the ocean. They had been left alone, with what Rogue assumed was no trace of where he had gone. He hoped it didn't look like he abandoned them. Perhaps it wasn't too late? For all he knows, he could have only been asleep for a few years. They could still be alive! 

If Rogue were to be fully honest, he doesn't remember the full extent of their situation before he fell unconscious. He can't be certain whether or not they had succeeded in getting rid of the titans, most of it's completely a blur. Nonetheless, that's no reason to stay treading water in the ocean for longer than one must. 

His garish features light up in relief at the sight of humans in the distance. They don't seem to have noticed him yet, but he's glad to have some available company. He's sure that if he'd ask them what year it was and their current location. By the looks of the unfamiliar palm trees and plant life, he doesn't seem to be anywhere near home. Speaking of unfamiliarity-

Rogue nearly chokes when he sees the area behind the beachline. Although he isn't close enough to make out details, the man-made buildings are certainly _nothing_ like what he's used to. Instead of one, two, or three-story buildings crafted from stone, brick, and wood, there are minimalistically structured buildings made from what appears to be steel and glass. They practically sparkle beneath the sun, and he's sure that if he were to stand in between the buildings they would undoubtedly tower stories above him. At the sight, Rogue realizes that a _lot_ has changed while he had last been conscious, and his hopes suddenly falter. 

If it's been long enough for humans to develop impressive architecture like this, how will they react to him? He knows that humans would of course be frightened if a fifteen-meter titan with elf-like ears, exposed lipless teeth and a serrated jaw rose out of the ocean without warning. He was banking on the idea that they would at least recognize him or his name, but judging by the extreme difference in landscapes, that chance is slim. 

Unsure of what to do, Rogue decides to begin swimming towards the shore. Approaching the humans is worth a try, right? After all, he has nowhere else to go. 

Holding his breath and diving back beneath the waves, he begins maneuvering through the water with powerful strokes and strides. The water and kelp reeds around him ripple at the exerted force, making his presence fairly obvious to an underwater bystander. At the continued movement, Rogue realizes that his limbs are far more tired than he had previously thought from treading water for such a long time. He concludes that it would simply be easier to walk along the ocean floor.

Letting his body go slack, Rogue gradually begins to sink to the bottom of the kelp forest. His vibrant eyes wander left and right as he sinks, his curiosity not allowing anything unfamiliar or foreign that crosses his vision to escape without a thorough examination. 

It's not long before Rogue hits the sandy floor, his figure stirring up a cloud of sandy water. He then plants his feet firmly, digging his clawed toes into the earth before walking forward. He'll admit that walking underwater is much more difficult than walking on land, but his arms no longer feel strained and overused. Besides, he doesn't mind the excuse to observe every type of fish, sea horse, or seal that he comes across, the latter of which hesitantly approaching his large frame to rub against him curiously. 

He hadn't gotten the chance to observe the ocean this thoroughly when he was associated with the scouts. Even when they did finally reach the ocean, he never swam this far away from the nearest shore. To say he was intrigued would be an understatement. 

Suddenly, a flicker of bright red crosses his vision, painfully sticking out from the green and teal background. Excitement bubbles in Rogue's chest as the thought of finding yet another vibrant sea creature comes to mind. Not wasting a second, he crouches down to the ocean floor before extending his legs in a powerful kick, propelling him towards where he last saw the burst of color. 

His eyes eagerly scan his surroundings, efficiently peaking around every wild kelp cluster he passes. When he finally sees the flicker of red cross his vision for a second time, he nearly misses it due to how fast he's swimming. Placing his feet in front of him as a way to gain friction against the sandy floor, he stirs up an aggressive cloud of sediment. Turning around as fast as he can underwater, he comes in contact with the red sea creature. In fact, the creature isn't just red, it's red _and_ black. 

In fact- something about this sea creature doesn't feel right. 

The delayed realization that the creature floating in the water before him is in fact not a sea creature at all hits him full force. This, no- this human, dressed in a black and red body-suit that seems to be equipped with two large tanks and extended webbed feet is somehow _this_ deep underwater. If Rogue could remember properly, humans need to breathe to live, and they certainly cannot breathe underwater. He's also never seen a human wear this vibrant of a color or such gear like the one before him. 

It also seems that he's not the only one in shock at the encounter. 

The diver finds himself frozen in place, his muscles and ligaments refusing to move an inch at the sight of the unimaginable being standing mere feet from him. The fifteen-meter, oddly humanoid, green-eyed and horrifying _giant_ before him stares with wide eyes as if _he's_ the one who should be struck with fear. Or- perhaps the eyes are wide with something else. Possibly hunger. He doesn’t want to stay and find out. The diver can hardly conjure up the force to breathe the oxygen from his tank as he makes eye contact with the behemoth through his goggles. 

The emerald eyes are so intimidating that they seem to be tearing through his very form. The diver, on pure instinct, turns and bolts away as fast as his flippers allow him. At the sight of the retreating human, Rogue blinks from his genuine surprise and begins following in pursuit, wanting the human to understand that he's a friend. This might not have been the best idea, because as soon as the human peers over his shoulder a large amount of bubbles leaves his mask and he releases a muffled scream, legs pumping harder than ever. 

Rogue desperately wants to call out to him and show him that he can speak, to prove that he means no harm. However, the fact that he's underwater prevents him from doing so. He contemplates simply leaving the human be, but for a titan whose been alone for two hundred years, he's extremely lonely. Due to Rogue's massive form and powerful muscles, he gains on the human within a few seconds. Carefully opening his palm and sweeping it beneath the smaller creature, he cradles the being in his hand. He cups his hands and holds them at a reasonable distance from his face just so the human doesn't get the wrong message. 

However, his attempt to be submissive and unprovoking seems to go unnoticed as the human in his palm suddenly stills. Blinking in confusion, Rogue observes the human's slacked head and limp arms, raising a finger to poke at the minuscule body to get its attention. 

Sudden fear strikes into Rogue's heart. Did he accidentally kill the human? Nearing his face closer to the male, he catches sight of a fair amount of bubbles escaping the mask on the human's face, indicating that he's still breathing. In addition, a steady rise and fall can be seen on the human's chest.

Rogue would exhale a relieved sigh if he could, however, he's still underwater. To express his relief, his gaze softens and his shoulders relax. 

His stability is short-lived as he hears yet another muffled scream originating from his left. His gaze is quickly pulled to a similarly dressed human, with the exception of the red pattern now swapped for lime green. The second human male reacts in a similar fashion as the first, except this time, it's gaze is focused on the limp red human in his palm. Rogue looks at the unconscious body and then back at the human, a nervous expression on his face. 

As expected, the human is terrified by the display of his life-long friend in the grasp of the giant being, and turns on his heels, swimming at full speed towards where he came from. The beach.

This isn't good. Rogue scolds himself, wishing he had just left the human alone after first coming across him. Now, to the bystander, it looks as though he killed the small being or something repulsive, and the lime green human is probably heading off to the shore to warn the other humans about him. 

It wouldn't do much help to try to stop the human, either. With a regretful glance in the direction that the human disappeared to, Rogue hesitantly follows him, this time keeping a steady pace. During his long, eventless walk across the ocean floor Rogue makes sure to keep his eyes on the small human in his palm, checking every few seconds to see if he's still breathing. To him, the most important thing at the moment is getting the human male safely to shore- somewhere where other humans can help him. 

It's not highly noticeable at first, but ever so slowly the ocean floor begins to tilt upwards while the amount of kelp surrounding him begins to decrease. Of course, Rogue rightfully takes this as a sign that he's nearing the shore. 

He internally comforts the small life-form in his palm, wishing he had a way of telling him he'll be alright in a few minutes. The brunette titan keeps his gaze fixated on the nearing surface, the teal water glistening with sunlight. He knows that once he breaches the water's line, there's most likely going to be an uproar of shock from the population on the beach. All he can do is try to present himself as unthreatening as possible- which admittedly is difficult for a fifteen-meter titan. 

By now there is no kelp in sight. All that remains is a blurry, sandy floor, a blue background surrounding him, and a salty tang in his mouth. That, and the unconscious diver in the titan's hand. Anxiety pricks in Rogue's chest as the surface of the water gets closer and closer, his legs refusing to stop even once while walking up the slope. Small, striped fish of the yellow, blue and white variety dance around his feet. 

He feels sluggish, the force of the water pushing against him making him feel even weaker than he already is. The sooner he comes intact with direct sunlight, the better. 

There a small moment, just before the tip of Rogues hair touches the surface of the ocean, when Rogue stops. He stands just an inch beneath the water's surface, and the outside world that he knows virtually nothing about. Anything could be waiting for him out there. However, as he realized before, he doesn't exactly have a choice. Staying buried beneath the sands of the ocean would do him no good. 

_Move._ He commands himself. And he does. 

Taking another step up the soft slope of underwater sand, he feels the top of his head breach the waterline. He takes yet another step and doesn't stop until nearly his entire head is above the surface. Warm, tropical air hits his skin feverishly, a light salty scent enveloping his senses. His eyes dilate at the sight before him. Although he's far closer to the beach than he was before, the shoreline is still a considerable distance away. Of course, he's close enough for a human to notice him if they were to look closely. 

Not wanting to waste any more time and risk the wellbeing of the helpless diver, he continues his journey forward. He takes powerful stride, his body slowly rising from the depths of the ocean. It doesn't take more than a second for someone to notice him, of course. 

"No- you have to believe me! It was huge! And it took my friend, he could be dead right now! We have to call someone-" A diver in a lime-green and black suit exclaims to a lifeguard, his oxygen mask hanging limply at his side and his chest heaving from swimming as fast as he could. His voice wavers sporadically, clearly in a state of panic as if he were about to cry. 

"Kid, if you think we're going to believe that crap for more than a second then-" 

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The lifeguard is abruptly interrupted by a civilian on the beach, pointing toward a figure a distance arising from the ocean. 

To the horror of many bystanders, a gargantuan of a being emerges from the water, large waves being created from his form. Water cascades down impressive and terrifying muscles that are clearly evident on his body as more and more of him is revealed. 

Rogue watches intently, curious to see how the general population of his surroundings reacts to his presence. His ears prick back and forth, detecting the uproar of panic from the beach. His frowns with his eyes (considering that his mouth isn't exactly the best way to show emotion) as the comments spewed from the humans confirm his suspicions.

"Shit! I don't- what!?"

"Oh my GOD-"

"W-what is that!?"

"Jesus Christ! Fucking run!" 

And just like that, the calm and sandy landscape is enveloped in panic. Humans scatter left and right, grabbing hold of their children or friends, some not even bothering to grab their personal items and leaving them to waste away in the sand. 

"There! See- I told you! That's the thing I saw in the water! Oh my god, it's bigger than I remember-" 

"Holy shit- Who fucking cares if what you said was true! What the hell do you think we can do about it! Just-" The blonde lifeguard pushes the panicked diver away from him forcefully and pulls out a walkie-talkie before holding it close to his mouth. "We need- fuck! I- we really need help! Send the entire army, hell, special forces and tanks! We're at Alson beach and there's this like- giant! A giant came out of the ocean and-" The man is cut off for a brief moment before raising his voice to whoever's on the other side of the conversation. "No, I'm not fucking joking! Why would I lie about this, just- we really need help!" He shouts, before releasing the button on the walkie talkie.

"I can't just leave! W-what happened to my friend!? We have to find him, I can't-"

"Son, at this point it would be smart to assume he was eaten, considering the size of that thing! We don't have time for this, just get the hell out of here before whatever happened to your friend happens to you!" And with that, the lifeguard runs for his life towards the end of the beach, leaving the poor diver in his tracks. 

The diver's terrified gaze hesitantly shifts towards the towering figure that is now wading through the water that rests below his hips. The being holds his palm in front of him and cradles something within his grasp, which unfortunately is blocked from the view of any bystanders. 

Rogue ears droop at the sight of the panic he has brought upon the humans by simply showing up. He wishes that his mere presence didn't cause such reactions. If only the humans didn't make assumptions, there wouldn't be this much chaos. However, he can't exactly blame them. He isn't a sight you'd see every day, and not a friendly one at that.

Rogue forces himself to continue walking towards the beach until he's fully relieved from the water and at his full height. He ignores the overwhelming urge to turn back toward the ocean and hide from the commotion before him. His toes curl into the soft sand, digging craters in their wake. Before he has a chance to determine his next course of action, he is interrupted by a voice from below. 

"Give me back my friend!" The green-suited diver screams below him in a fit of rage and courage. "What the hell did you do to him!!" In a rush of adrenaline, the young male aggressively claws a handful of white sand from the beneath him and chucks it at the titan, sand particles spraying everywhere. Although Rogue is surprised by his courage, especially considering how every other member of his species reacted, he can't help but feel upset. 

Suppressing the urge to whine, he connects his gaze to the smaller being before him, the latter of which seemingly frozen under his gaze. The diver suddenly realizes his mistake and assumes that he made the giant hostile towards him. Silently cursing himself, he pleads for his body to move, for his legs to run before he's snatched up by a giant hand and shoveled into an oversized jaw. However, his legs don't seem to listen to him, and all he can do it stand still like a deer caught in headlights. His physical form seems to be pinned by the giant's eyes. 

To the diver's terror and dismay, the colossal being bends his knees to a crouch, his fleshy leg mere meters away from him. A strangled gasp forces its way from the human's throat as the green-eyed terror places one of its palms in the sand to balance its weight, and leans closer to him. His free palm is held at an odd angle, most likely curled around an object. However, it's contents are hidden from the much shorter human. 

He suddenly loses control of his mouth as words begin to spill from him without his consent. "P-please... Please don't- I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean what I said! I didn't mean it! J-just please d-don't... hurt me!" He cries timidly, beginning to feel completely powerless in the close proximity of such a being. At the sorry sight of the green human begging for his life and beginning to hyperventilate, Rogue sighs. 

Desperate to get the interaction over with, the brunette titan lowers his palm towards the ground, effectively causing the small human to flinch. He places his curled fist containing the red diver at a reasonable distance from the other, afraid to scare him further. Finally, Rogue opens his palm and gently slides the unconscious diver onto the sand, the minuscule body landing softly with a 'thump'.

At the sight, the human looks as if he's about to faint. However, Rogue can still sense the change in mood. The way the diver's eyes widen. The way his mouth drops and his shoulders relax in complete awe. He stares at the scene playing out before him as if he can't believe it's real. Rogue makes eye contact with the diver for a brief moment before petting the unconscious human lightly with his index finger. 

Content with his own actions, Rogue wills himself to stand upright, once again reaching his full height of fifteen meters. From the corner of his eye, he notices the green human fall backward and land on his backside in the sand, staring up at him with his mouth still agape. To Rogue, it's almost amusing, however, he can't afford to stay and conversate- as the humans would call it. He's not sure how advanced human technology has come, but he's willing to try and gain their trust. If this is an entirely new generation, especially one free of titans, he has to be sure that they know he means no harm. 

Observing his surroundings, Rogue notes the amazingly tall buildings before him. His eyes dart back and forth in wonder, amazed that such tiny creatures could build this by themselves. Perhaps intelligent titans weren't extinct after all and decided to help the humans build such structures? Rogue pushes the thought away, remembering how the humans had reacted to him. If they were familiar to intelligent titans of any sort, they wouldn't have been so terrified of him... right?

"No! Andy get away from it!" He hears a panicked scream from somewhere on the beach. He averts his eyes to see a preteen girl with her hands cupped around her mouth, a terrified expression plastered on her face. He then notices the golden canine running towards his leg across the sand and barking aggressively. The hairy, yet lean dog sprints towards his foot and leans it's muzzle downward to sniff lightly at his warm skin. 

Nearly cooing, an awestruck gaze crosses Rogue's complexion, and his eyes brighten at the unexpected sight. Not bothering to contemplate whether it's a bad idea or not, Rogue crouches down once more to observe the small animal. The dog continues barking, but once it realizes that the titan isn't affected by its yaps, it halts the noises coming from its mouth. Instead, the dog's tail wags vigorously, lifting its muzzle up to meet Rogue's fingertip. Perhaps it's the warmth emanating from his skin, but whatever the reason, the dog begins lapping at his fingertip with its tongue. 

A delighted trill leaves Rogue at the dog's quick acceptance. A sudden urge to praise and play with the dog overcomes him, however, he's reminded of where he is by a voice that startles him from his thoughts. "Andy!" Rogue's attention is snatched away by the same girl who had previously called for the golden retriever. She looks frightened as if she doesn't know what to do. It's obvious that she sees the way Rogue is being gentle with the canine, but evident that she still feels threatened for her dog's life. 

Sighing, Rogue decides not to stay and waste more time. Looking longingly at the lovely dog by his palm (who is currently wagging its whole body in a means to get Rogue to playfully tussle with him of all things) he strokes one finger along the dogs back, careful to not accidentally hurt it, and then stands up reluctantly. Looking briefly behind him at the ocean, he notices the green diver still staring at him alongside his friend, who is now conscious as well. The two of them seem to be watching for his next move, eyes chained to his form.

After contemplating how oddly the divers seem to be staring at him, he decides that he doesn't blame them. He raises a brow in mock confusion before turning back toward the monstrous city. The dog has now become bored of him and bounded back towards his owner, who hugs him with teary eyes and shaky hands.

The city of tall, glass buildings and concrete pathways with glittering lights awaits before him. It would take a short walk to reach the end of the beach, but he's sure that it'll only be a few steps for his size. He can hear commotion from the beaches edge, no doubt that the general population is already aware of his presence. In the distance, he can hear a loud, wailing, siren-like noise. He isn't sure where it's coming from, but then again, everything is unfamiliar. 

If there was a forest nearby, or even a less populated area, Rogue would certainly take that route instead. Swimming back into the ocean and searching for another landmass is out of the question, there's no other landmasses in sight along the blue horizon. He truly has no choice but to venture through the human city and try to find somewhere he can get privacy that isn't sixty meters underwater. Of course, he knows that he'll attract plenty of unwanted attention, and he most certainly won't be welcome there. On the other hand, he is quite curious to see what humans are up to and just _what_ those shiny buildings are made out of. 

He decides then and there that his only choice is to go straight through the human city. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can! However, updates might take a few weeks to come out because I'm still currently mapping out plot ideas!  
> I apologize for any grammatical errors!


	2. Untamed Curiosities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human city is far more impressive than Rogue was expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5k words I said. Only 5k. And here we are 7k words later. 
> 
> Thank you for all your nice comments! They're jewels! Even if I don't respond to your comment, I am so grateful for it! Also, I apologize for getting this chapter out late, I intended to get it posted a lot sooner. Since school recently started, Chemistry Honors caught me off guard and I found myself using most of my free time to study or worry about how I should be studying. Thanks for being patient!

Rogue marvels at his reflection in the large glass window of a twenty-story building. His tanned fingers touch and explore his complexion curiously. Gently running his fingers over his various, sharp teeth, he opens his maw to observe his molars. The titan hooks a finger in his lower jaw, pulling it further down and sticking out his lengthy tongue. Once satisfied with his inspection, he clacks his mouth shut and smirks at himself playfully. Rogue had a genuine idea of what he looked like before, but rippling lake water isn't exactly the best mirror. He then glances down and trails his gaze along his sculpted figure in the reflection, never having seen himself from a different point of view. Rogue feels as though he's seeing himself for the first time. 

It had been only a few seconds since he's first stepped foot in the human city, and Rogue finds himself infatuated by absolutely everything he's come across. The buildings are monumentally more impressive up close, and he can't even begin to think of how they were constructed. Instead of a cobblestone or even dirt pathway that lays in-between buildings as a walking space for humans to utilize, a dark, smooth, and paved pathway of what seem to be made of melted rock line nearly every inch of the ground. Not only that, but there are white and yellow lines and symbols painted along the streets that Rogue can't find a purpose for off the top of his head. 

Even more curious, the only small squares of land that don't have the pavement washed over them are either covered in grass, shrubs, and small trees. They add a nice touch against the greys and blues of the city. 

Redirecting his attention towards the glass, he notices something behind the reflection of his emerald green eyes. Squinting, he moves his head closer to try and glimpse through the translucent material. His eyes light up in wonder as he realizes what lies behind the window. A small group of humans dressed in sleek white and black clothes stare at him from the opposite side of the see-through barrier, their mouths agape in shock. Rogue's notices that he's been getting that reaction often as of late, and recalls that it's the way humans express their surprise or astonishment, or more commonly fear.

Repositioning his arms by his side, Rogue fixes his posture and produces the friendliest expression he can manage. He then wiggles his ears at the humans and waves his hand as he recalls it's a common human greeting. One of the humans drops a large stack of what Rogue knows to be paper, the objects fluttering around hastily until they land scattered on the floor.

As Rogue further investigates the inside of the glass and metal human nest, he notices small wooden desks with large, flat surfaces that are littered in papers and plainly colored pens. There's a series of hallways at the far end of the room and a couple of doors as well. Other than that, nothing further catches his interest. Bringing his attention back to the humans, he notices that some of them have disappeared, most likely having run away. However, the ones that remain in from of the window stare at him with wide eyes, tensing as his gaze once again lands on them. The majority of them are holding up small, metal rectangles, some of which are producing a bright light from their top corner. Their thumbs seem to be swiping something on the opposite side of the rectangles, but Rogue decides not to question the oddities of human behavior. 

Suddenly growing bored of the tall human nest, he steps away from the building and begins walking further down the street. He isn't able to take more than a few steps until something yet again catches his eye. Sitting on the edge of the fairly lonely road is a metal object that is carved oddly, large enough to fit at least four or five humans inside. The inside of the object is hollow and guarded by even more panels of glass on every side, and the bottom has four rubber wheels that touch the ground. The most intriguing part of it to Rogue, however, is its vibrant red color. The titan crouches down to get a better look at the object, carefully running a finger over the top of the sleek, shiny metal. He leans his face closer to it, sniffing as an animal would to an unfamiliar object. He catches the scent of chemicals, burning leather, and humans for the matter. Of course, nearly everything here has traces of humans on it, as well as an undertone of exhaust and fossil fuels that make Rogue's nose wrinkle. He just wonders what the vehicle could possibly be used for. 

Deciding that the object is worth a closer inspection, Rogue, as gently as possible, picks the vehicle up with his index finger and thumb. He then brings it up to his eye level and places a hand underneath it as a precaution. As he rotates the curious object, he accidentally squeezes too tightly and dents the metal, as well as cause large cracks in the glass. The object seems to be offended by this and creates a loud and repetitive honking noise, the shapes on the front beginning to flash red. Startled by the sound, his ears pin themselves back instinctually and he surveys his surroundings as a guilty child would when doing something wrong. When he doesn't see any humans in the streets (most likely because they all ran away when they saw him approaching) he places the vehicle back down where it was, resisting the urge to smash it with his fist until it ceases to make the annoying sound. Standing up to walk further down the street, he leaves the car with two large dents in its side, multiple cracked windows, and its horn blaring angrily. 

Moving on, Rogue continues making his way down the street. At the end is an intersection where multiple streets conjoin or cross each other. He quickens his pace as he sees moving objects, all similar in composure to the vehicle he had just observed. As he nears the intersection, many of the vehicles skid to a stop at the sight of him, creating loud screeching and honking noises as they do so. In one of the vehicles, a side compartment opens to reveal two humans stumbling out from inside of it and running off in the opposite direction, shrieking as they do so. Others simply speed away, creating dark marks on the road. More honking ensues, and loud, human tongue can be heard. By the looks of it, a similar state of panic that was seen on the beach is repeating itself. 

On the other hand, Rogue can conclude that the oddly colored vehicles are used for human transportation. What a clever idea! But how do they get hunky metal carvings to move so easily at such a quick pace? There's certainly no horses in front of them, perhaps they're using gas in a similar way the humans did with their Omni-directional Gear? As much as Rogue would like to observe the vehicles even further and dismantle one to see its insides, he knows that there's far more to explore in this new human city. His eyes take in every new sight like candy, and with every unfamiliar occurrence, he gets even further excited. 

Eager to explore the rest of the new environment, Rogue crosses the panicked street with ease, careful to avoid stepping on any civilians or vehicles. It doesn't take more than a few steps for him to reach the other side, and he makes his way over a large cluster of trees above a pale sidewalk. Maneuvering his body over and through the branches, he emerges on the other side in a grass-filled park. He remembers that in the age he was familiar with humans, that parks were only located in places where the wealthy humans lived and gathered. Does this mean he's in the region where more privileged humans resided? 

Upon arrival, Rogue notices that the grassy terrain is filled with humans of every shape and size and... He eyes the various humans who stare at him in shock and awe, noticing something that he hadn't previously come across in his years around the walls. Instead of all having the same skin tone, there are humans with darker skin tones as well of every shade in-between. He had never seen so many different shades of human in his life. He finds it delightful that there are different breeds of humans and makes a mental note to learn about all of them. Sudden curiosity edges at his mind as to why the walls hadn't contained more melanin-rich humans during the time that he spent conscious.

On another note, Rogue notices how the humans in his line of vision either seem too afraid to flee or simply don't feel the need to do so. Although he knows it's most likely the former than the latter, he produces a series of clicking and chirping noises from his mouth in a friendly greeting. When he receives no response except a few whimpers and cries from his audience, he mentally shrugs. Deciding that waiting around won't achieve anything, he takes a step forward with the intent to cross the recreational area and reach the opposite side. At his sudden movement, the humans in the clearing seem to startle out of their trance-like states. Screaming breaks out in the clearing as most of the humans run as far away from him as they can, while some pull out rectangular devices that fit in the palm of their hands and copy their actions. Rogue recognizes them as the same devices the humans in the glass building had in their possessions. What could they be used for?

As for the humans running away, they nearly trip over themselves as they try to evade his presence. Some shout things such as: "The end has come!" and "The gods have finally decided that the age of humans has come to a close! Run for your lives!" 

Although Rogue is disappointed and slightly saddened by their response, he couldn't have expected anything less. As a matter of fact, something deep inside him, something primal and instinctive enjoys the way they run for their lives. 

...

Where the hell had that thought come from?

Rogue shakes his head defiantly, clearing the repulsive emotions from his mind. His inner turmoil disturbs him greatly, and he decides it would be better to ignore it rather than ponder it. Although, he _can_ admit that the unexpected thought left him on edge. 

He makes his way further towards an avenue lined with various oak trees, green as the spring itself. His eyes widen and his breath his caught in his throat as he stands between two incredibly large buildings that practically scrape the sky with their impressive height. If Rogue were not mistaken, the buildings had to be at least twice the height of the collossal titan he had known in his past years. Judging by the angle he observes them from, they appear to be at least two-hundred meters in height if not more. Rogue wonder's if there are humans nestled in the highest part of the building as well, as some of the windows produce a golden light. For the first time in his life, Rogue actually feels tiny. 

A precarious detail of his surrounding buildings catches his eye. Small globes of light balance on top of black metal poles that line the streets, each producing a golden hue which make them look similar to tiny suns. The ever so slowly darkening sky boldens the light's effect. Rogue crouches to look closer to the small bulb, noticing that there isn't a lit lantern inside. Confused as to what's creating the light since there's no fire inside the glass, he lifts a finger to the small orb. He taps it gently before placing his fingers around the minuscule pole, lifting it out of the sidewalk. To his dismay, as a result of his action, the light sputters into sparks before going out completely. 

Realizing he made a mistake, he tries to reconnect the pole with the ground. Nonetheless, his efforts appear to be futile. Sighing, the titan places the pole gently on the sidewalk, resting it on its side, before moving further down the street. He marvels at the way the various lights glitter along the streetway as the night becomes ever more prevalent. The sky has become a deep shade of blue and the sun has almost been completely swallowed by the horizon. There are lights everywhere, lining the buildings, strewn across trees, lighting up the darkening streets. A particular ornament catches his eye attatched to the window of a shop. Placed on a large, glass windows is a large and word, glowing in a luminescent, sparkling gold. It seems to be made out of expertly bent and curved metal wires that produced light. Whatever it is, it certainly catches Rogue's attention.

Ignoring the crowd of civilians rushing away from his large frame and expressing their terror, he crouches down to inspect the lit ornament on the sheen window of the shop. His pupils are blown wide as he takes in the oddly alluring and bold color of the light. Inspecting the lit word further, he realizes that he can only point out a few letters due to the odd font the word is written in. Behind the window are what seems to be a line of people, all with abnormally pale skin and standing in rigid and unmoving poses. Looking closer, he concludes that the frozen lifeforms can't possibly be alive. Some of them lack heads, some lack hands or even feet. And the ones who do have heads do not have any facial features to accompany it. They must simply be statues of people. But what for? 

Each mannequin is adorned with odd-looking clothing that the titan hasn't seen any human wear before. All of the figurines seem to be female and wear lacy, thin clothing that covers minuscule parts of their bodies, revealing a significant amount of skin. Rogue's brows furrow in confusion. What could the clothing items possibly be used for? Certainly not for keeping warm or preserving body heat. Perhaps they were a method used by females to attract mates? 

With his gaze focused on the odd and intricate patterns of a black lingerie, he doesn't notice the woman in the back of the store crouched halfway behind a reception desk on her hands and knees. She peers around the corner of the table, a phone held tightly against her ear as she listens to the operator's warning to stay calm and remain where she is. Her chest heaves with every breath, her body shuddering as her brain conveys the message that she's in imminent danger. "No, no there's no other way out of the building." She whispers into her phone, her fingers clenching against the marble floor. 

"Okay, well, has it seen you yet?" The woman on the other side of the phone asks, his voice sounding as though he doesn't necessarily believe her situation. "No, it's focused on... on... n-no, it hasn't seen me yet." She stutters, watching as the giant pokes at the glass window, its sharp nail causing a slight crack in the glass. "Okay, I'm going to need you to stay out of its sight by any means possible. Are you in a secure location?" 

"Yes, I'm hiding behind a desk on the floor, but I don't know if-" The woman's sentence suddenly catches in her throat as panic rushes through her body. "F-fuck!" 

"What? What's wrong?"

"It's looking right at me." She says with a shaky breath, her eyes making contact with large green ones on the other side of the glass. "Its- Its looking right at me!" She repeats. "What do I do!" Her voice cracks as if she's about to break out into a cry. She wills her body to move, to lunge further behind the desk and make herself as small as possible. Yet she can't seem to convince her body to budge. It doesn't help that the operator on the other end of the line is completely silent as well. 

Suddenly, a large hand taps at the window once more. Its fingernail hits the frame lightly, almost gently, another large crack forming on the glass. A whimper catches in her throat as it taps once more whilst maintaining eye contact. The glass finally gives out beneath its finger. She screams as the giant shoves his arm through the now shattered window, the operator breaking out in concern at her sudden fear. "What- what's going on!? Ma'am hold on, the police should be there any second! Are you alright?" However, she isn't able to respond as she loses her grip on the cellphone, the metal hitting the floor with a crack. 

"NO! NO, STOP! PLE-" A bloodcurdling scream rips from her throat as the large hand encompasses her body, her legs and arms thrashing against its hold. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! PLEASE!" 

Rogue fishes the human from the guts of the shop and cradles her gently in his hand, knocking over a few pieces of furniture in the process. She shields the back of her head with her hands and curls up on her side, whimpering and crying as she's lifted from the shop and towards the giant's eye level. The titan produces a grunt to gather her attention, wanting desperately to ask her a question. When she doesn't give him a response and continues to shiver and cry in fear, he prods her midsection with his finger, making sure to not injure her. She yelps and tries to bat his finger away, with no success of course. Rogue groans again, her attention being redirected to his face. Realizing that his expression might come off as hostile, he softens his gaze. 

He then points his finger toward a nearby mannequin laced with a wine red lingerie set, his gaze questioning what the clothing item was. However, when her eyes trail his action she seems to misunderstand his intentions. His sharp fingernail unintentionally hooking itself beneath the band of the undergarment doesn't exactly help either. Her face immediately turns beet red. "W-what!? The fuck!?" She whines, her eyes shifting from the giant's finger to his expectant expression rapidly. 

The pieces click together inside her mind and her body stills. The woman is sure she would pass away any moment now, whether it be at the hands of the giant or from overwhelming embarrassment, she wasn't sure. 

When the human doesn't answer, Rogue rolls his eyes in annoyance and pulls his finger away from the mannequin. Humans can be so weird sometimes. On the other hand, the human in his grasp seems to be rescued from his attention as a faint wailing noise can be heard in the distance. It raises at unnatural intervals and lowers at others, sounding extremely mechanical. Deciding that the source of the sound is worth an investigation, Rogue gently sets the human female down on the pavement, her legs giving out beneath her as soon as they touch the sidewalk. 

Part of Rogue wants to take the colorful golden sign before he leaves, but he's reminded of what happened to the tiny sun he detached from he ground and decides against it. The titan then stands up slowly, careful not to disturb anything else in his surroundings with a dangerously quick movement. He'd learned that simple movements from his large frame could cause unexpected damages the hard way in the past. Not giving the human another glance, he continues making his way down the street, the titan once again being amazed by the colorful lights lining every single building. 

The woman watches the titan walk away in confusion until he is completely out of her sight. She then collapses on her back in exhaustion, tears streaking down her face, her mind far too occupied with wondering how she's still alive to notice the sharp sting of a glass shard slicing her shoulder blade from the broken window. 

A light rain begins fluttering towards the earth, wetting small drops of Rogue's skin before evaporating as steam as a result his high body temperature. His ears twitch as singular drops land on them. Rogue turns right at an intersection, narrowly avoiding the colorful traffic lights as he makes his way over them. At his arrival, many humans begin expressing their terror in the way he's gotten used to overtime. Scream and run, of course. Minding his own business and doing his best to not interact with any terrified civilians, he perks his ears toward the growing siren that is emitting itself from a direction in front of him. What could possibly be creating that terrible sound?

Quickening his pace, he tracks the siren using his superior senses, the noise growing louder by the minute. He's sure that his footsteps are audible as he approaches the origin of the sound, alerting anyone in the area of his arrival. 

After a few more meters, Rogue realizes something that he hadn't before. He halts his walk, perking his ears even further forward. The sound is clearly heading towards him as well. Even though he isn't moving, the sound is increasing by the second. Could it be possible that whatever it is is heading toward him? 

Within moments, the sound is so loud that Rogue feels as though he is right above it. It's a panicked, siren-like alarm that announces danger to any that hear it. Suddenly, an annoying screeching sound erupts from around the corner of a building, and a large group of metal vehicles with odd black and white patterns come to a skidding halt in front of Rogue. Each of them have two flashing lights on their roofs, switching between red and blue with every second. They surround him like a pack of wolves herding a deer. 

Confused but unafraid, Rogue waits patiently for their next move, curious as to what this is all about. The image of humans trying to detain him appears in his mind. Rogue brushes it aside, confident that he can handle whatever they throw at him. Behind the white and black cars are even more vehicles, some larger than others. Most are painted a shiny black color or have a mossy green hue. Some don't even have doors, making the humans inside of them clearly visible. Rogue concludes that the annoying and repetitive sound is coming from the black and white vehicles, as the sound matches the pace of their flashing lights. 

A large number of humans step out of their vehicles and begin shakily setting up equipment on the dark-tinted pavement. Rogue makes no movement to inspect them, simply watching them from where he stands. His instincts tell him to appear uninterested, so he adopts a bored expression on his face. Only a second later and a human in a darkly colored uniform holds up a large metal disk. Once he flips a switch attached to the disk, it shines a bright, blinding light in Rogue's direction. His winces as the light is directed at his eyes and raises a hand to block the intrusive light from his vision. Multiple lights in a similar fashion shine at him from multiple directions as well. Suddenly Rogue feels more cautious under all the attention. 

Rogue watches through squinted eyes as a human holds up a megaphone and speaks in Rogue's direction. "CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME." The human's voice is deep and authoritative. Rogue isn't fond of those types of people. He only glances at him with a bored expression and half-lidded eyes. The man repeats his question, his voice cracking in what seems like apprehension. Perhaps the man is only putting up a show of dominance. Beneath his mask, he's most likely scared out of his wits. 

Rogue's all for getting along with humans, but he can already tell that he's not going to like spending time with _these_ humans. However, he can't help but wonder what they're thinking at the moment. Looking from their perspective, a fifteen-meter giant just arose from the ocean in a world with seemingly no other titans in existence. To a human who's seen a titan before, an intelligent fifteen meter like him would be terrifying. To a human who's never seen or heard of a titan in general, this would be a nightmare, something that would only happen in horror stories. The humans before him, who suspiciously remind him of the military police in their behavior, must be scared beyond imagination. He internally applauds them for having the bravery to approach him.

Amid the chaos, Rogue's ears pick up a curious sound. It's akin to a bird's wings flapping at an alarming rate, pounding the air with each movement. Looking up, he spots something that hovers in the sky a considerable distance away from him, and is heading in his direction. The titan's eyes widen in wonder as it approaches, drinking in everything about its appearance. It appears to be a large, oval-shaped metal carving with hollowed insides, quite similar to the oddly shaped vehicles that run on the ground. Attached to the top of the object is a large, spinning propeller. 

As the helicopter nears closer to Rogue, he is able to distinguish humans inside of the contraption and takes a hesitant step back. The humans inside of it angle strange-looking metal boxes with circular lenses in his direction, hovering a considerably safe distance above his figure. One of the humans inside the helicopter appears to be talking, the others filming what she's saying religiously. 

Rogue's face lights up at the realization that some brilliant human mind created this invention- an object that he would have no possible clue of how it functions. He feels his hands itch at the need to inspect and cauterize the object, fingers twitching in anticipation. 

If there's one thing that Rogue knows about himself, it's that he has a problem with personal boundaries. When something catches his attention, he has an incredibly difficult-to-suppress urge to take hold of the object and inspect it closely. Now is one of those moments. 

Completely infatuated, Rogue tenses his thigh and calf muscles, preparing to jump. He stands on the palms of his feet, and hunches over for a brief moment. Meanwhile, in the helicopter, the giant's change in stance doesn't go unnoticed. A news reporter by the name of Petra Ral catches on to his intentions quickly. "Wait- is it about to-" She exclaims, however, she isn't able to finish her sentence as the giant jumps from the ground at an alarming speed. She clutches the handrails of the open helicopter as the entire aircraft shakes from the force of the titan's fingers. Rogue grabs hold of the helicopter between his index finger and thumb. Once he has the object of his interest in hand, gravity pulls his body back towards the earth, his form landing with a heavy thud that shakes everything in the surrounding area. Nearly every single human standing on level ground topples over or has to grab hold of something to keep their balance. 

"Shit! It has the-"

"They were too close!"

"Oh my god- what should we do? We have to save them!" 

As Rogue brings the helicopter towards his eye level, oblivious to the commotion below, he rotates the object in his hand and observes the desperate spinning propellers. One of the humans inside the aircraft catches his attention- a slightly below average height female with light copper red hair that reaches her shoulders. She leans halfway out the helicopter, barely holding on by a handlebar. The woman is wearing a jet black blazer and pants, along with a white undershirt and a dark blue tie. Petra stares at him in both awe and shock, capturing the titan's attention for a moment. However, it isn't able to interact with her before an amplified voice breaks through the white noise of their surroundings. 

"FIRE!"

Before Rogue can react, a sharp pelting of bullets makes contact with his legs and abdomen, gunshots ringing from every direction. Although the bullets don't penetrate his thick skin, he feels the light sting at their contact. His initial shock is overrun by anger and concern. Why would they shoot at him when there are clearly vulnerable humans in the crossfire? 

Thankful that the bullets aren't made of iron bamboo, thus unable to puncture his skin, he cups a hand over the helicopter and holds it protectively against his chest, shielding it from the spray of bullets. 

"We aren't doing anything to it!" 

"Aim for the eyes!"

Before Rogue can react, a single bullet hits him square in the eye, the impact causing him to throw his head back in pain. He moans, retrieving one of his hands to cover his steaming, burning eye as it painfully regenerates. Although the humans aren't putting up much of a fight since they don't seem to have ODM gear, Rogue decides that it's about time for him to leave. Without a further glance at the helicopter, he crouches down and places the machine carefully on the pavement, the Military's guns still blazing. Continuing to shield his eyes, Rogue steps with accuracy and precision through the crowd of vehicles and strangely clothed men who shout human tongue at each other. 

Once he's clear of the majority of the gathering, he begins to pick up his pace. Within seconds, he's lightened his skeleton and is nearly at top speed, his steaming eye about half-healed. His repetitive, thunderous footsteps rattle the glass windows of the buildings as he passes them, the rain now a heavy downfall that pours from his hair and washes down his body. The sound of screeching rubber and the familiar annoying siren indicates that the humans have decided to follow him in pursuit. 

As Rogue is running, he notices on large, mechanical billboards along the sides of buildings the words 'Emergency Evacuation' in a bold, red font. He nearly changes his route to go and inspect the signs, but he manages to stop himself before he does something he regrets. The titan drags a hand through his soaked hair, the sound of a large amount of water hitting the street following his action. Heavy wind and rain rush past his ears as he sails in-between buildings, his surrounding a blur as he races through the human city. 

Rogue's eyes widen as he sees an opportunity to avoid the land-moving vehicles from pursuing him further. A little further ahead is a small river that runs through the center of the city. There is a small cement bridge that runs across it, but the humans would have to veer off course to reach it, giving Rogue just enough time to slip away. Preparing himself, Rogue increases his speed. The titan squints his eyes as he nears the river's edge, which is bordered with a thin layer of stone and cement. Just before he jumps from the earth's surface, he throws his arms back to gain more momentum. Then he swings his arms forward, pushing with his legs at the same time. Like a coiled spring, he leaps over the miniature river, wind rushing through his hair as a heavy burst of thunder booms ahead. 

For a split moment, he isn't sure if he's going to make it to the other side. However, his worries disappear as his feet hit the road on the other edge of the river, the pavement shattering beneath his weight like glass. He takes a brief moment to regain his balance before once again taking off to a sprint. Glancing behind him, he sees that just as he had expected, the vehicles have skidded to a halt and are trying to find a way around the river as he disappears from their sight. Smirking to himself, he turns around just in time to narrowly miss running into a building. 

After stumbling to the side, he skillfully readjusts his body weight before increasing his speed once again, his arms working just as hard as his legs. Rogue's eyes light up as he spots the edge of the city. Just beyond it is a thick cluster of trees, which he is assuming is the start of a forest. Exactly what he needs. 

Powerful adrenaline pumps through his body. He hasn't felt the exhilaration of running at top speed in such a long time. The pursuit is dangerous and exciting, a feeling he loves passionately. Believing he's in the clear, Rogue turns his head and is met with an unwelcome sight. Still managing to trail him are three more of the flying helicopters, who of course, the river stood no obstacle to since they're traveling by air. Scoffing, Rogue dives into the forest edge, piecing together a plan in his mind. The familiar feeling of soil and grass returns beneath his feet instead of the hard black pavement that's dispersed throughout the city. He uses his arms to shield his face as he pummels between trees, doing his best to avoid running into any of the larger ones. Various leaves and branches hit his face as he charges through the canopy, but they inflict nothing more than a sting or itch.

The rain has made the earth beneath his feet muddy, therefore more slippery to the touch. He decides to use this to his advantage. Ducking down slightly to hide the top of his head beneath the canopy, he lowers his arms from his face and continues racing on. The trees fly past him in a blur, a familiar mesh of dark green and black. A light mist envelops the forest from the thundering rain, allowing Rogue more cover to slip away in the darkness. 

However, to his dismay (and slight excitement) a bright light that beams from above and behind him indicates that a single helicopter has managed to stay on his trail. Deciding that he can wait no longer, Rogue stops abruptly and spins around as he slides across the muddy terrain, a slew of mud and underbrush being unearthed and uprooted. A large wave or soil erupts behind him as his body finally skids to a stop. 

Using his gained traction, he begins running in the opposite direction, right toward the unsuspecting helicopter. Without giving the humans a second to react, Rogue lunges up in the air, his feet leaving the earth for a moment as he swings his arm upward, his hand outstretched in preparation to grab the flying vehicle. He grips the helicopter in his hand, unintentionally jostling the humans inside who shriek in terror at his advance. Then he makes contact with the ground once again, lowering the helicopter to eye level. Once he gives his pursuers a threatening growl, he clutches the spinning propellers and snaps them cleanly in half. In one savage yank, he rips the severed propellers from the now smoking husk of metal and places the helicopter on the ground. He makes sure to drop them from a height that won't injure the humans but will let them know that he won’t tolerate them trailing him any further. 

Then, leaving the confused and terrified humans behind, the fifteen-meter titan disappears into the dense woodland that surrounds the area. The sound of his pounding footsteps eventually level out, and nothing is left of the mysterious giant except for large muddy footprints, a shattered road, a ravaged shop, a broken street lamp, and a partially destroyed car. 

Meanwhile, after receiving verbal failure of the military's pursuit, a soldier by the name of Sannes hesitantly retrieves a communication device from the strap of his cargo pants. "Sir, we've, um, lost the target..." 

"How can you lose a giant. Tell me. Fucking tell me how- I just don't understand how you can lose a FIFTEEN METER giant!" Commander Nile growls on the other end of the communication earpiece. The soldier swallows, knowing he's in for a tough week. 

They tried to stop it, however, given the flow of media coverage in this day and age, it's impossible to keep a fifteen-meter humanoid giant secret. It wasn't long before the only story on every news channel, every bit of social media, was flooded with images of the gargantuan. The governments of every nation tried to keep it silent, wanting desperately to avoid sending the world into a state of panic. Many believed that the images of the titan were false, photoshopped, or CGI rendered through computer screens to scare people. They believed that the media was a joke for believing such nonsense and that in a few months it would all blow over as a fake. 

However, whether someone believed the claims or not, they had to admit that it was interesting. Scientists and theorists all over the globe who _did_ beleive the images, the majority of the stories, and had spoken to people from the city where it emerged, had been infatuated from the start. Their minds were obsessed with uncovering the mystery that was the humanoid giant who emerged from the Atlantic Ocean. The beast that wondered unchecked through the district of Alson, the species that humankind has never before seen. (Or so they thought, as the memories and history from earlier stages of human life had been lost permanently in time, erased from any book or folktales for an unknown reason.)

One of these esteemed scientists went by the name of Hange Zoe, a female biologist in Vancouver, Canada, far from where the incident was said to have occurred. Hange Zoe had always been obsessed with mythology and the beasts that came with it since she was a young child. That's why, of course, when she heard of the giant with piercing green eyes and pointed, elf-like ears that came from the ocean, she jumped on the idea immediately. It wasn't long before her entire career shifted from studying wild albino predators to completely enveloped waist deep in paperwork and news stories on the beast. Her co-worker, Molbit Berner, had become worried, therefore paid her more visits to her study at the lab. It wasn't long before he was pulled into the speculating from the raw prowess that was Hange. 

"It came from the ocean," Molbit states. 

"And yet, its biology does _not_ support an underwater lifestyle." Hange continues, her arms crossed and eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. "It's clearly an apex predator of sorts... I wonder what it consumes? Obviously a creature of such considerable size has to consume at least a monumental amount of food a day to have the energy necessary to survive... And by the looks of its jaw structure, I'd say that he's a carnivore. With that being said, the possibility of its main food source being humans is nearly inevitable."

Molbit swallows nervously. To his dismay, Hange continues. He's unsure of how she manages to talk about such a disturbing thought so casually.

"We're the most available food source for a carnivore like that... Gosh, his entire body is built for hunting. His legs are clearly built for speed, much like a human. And look at those claws! I bet his bite is powerful, he'd probably be able to chomp straight through metal-"

"Hange!" Molbit exclaims. "Stop fantasizing about what that thing could do to you and the rest of humanity. If what you said is true, it's important that we find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible!" 

This brings Hange from her thoughts. “Sorry, I was ranting again. But... about what you said, shouldn’t we find out where it came from first? Maybe even... study it?”

”Hange, I find it highly unlikely that humans like us will be able to capture a fifteen-meter giant, one capable of destroying an entire army in one go. Besides, even if we do manage to pull that off, we’re not going to harbor him just so you can fawn over his abs.” Molbit rolls his eyes.

Hange’s eyes dart back to the printed picture of the said giant on her table, raising a hand to her chin in curiosity. “Hmm... he does have an eight pack, an impressive one at that. I bet you’re right about easily overpowering any human force that he comes across-“

”Hange, will you just listen to me for a second?” He says, grabbing the attention of his coworker. “I know that you’re going to try and hunt this thing down.”

”What!? Why would I do that-“ Hange replies nervously. 

”All I want is to make sure that you’re safe. Doing something like that is incredibly dangerous, and I know I can’t stop you if you’ve already set your mind to it.” Hange frowns, her gaze landing on the floor. Molbit continues. “So, if that is what you’re planning on doing, I’m going to help you.” 

The female scientist perks up immediately? “Wait, what!? Are you serious?” She rushes over to her co-worker and places a palm on his forehead. “You don’t seem to have a fever, are you sure you-“ 

Molbit swats her hands away from his forehead and holds her wrists in his grasp. “Hange I’ve already spoken to a team of highly trained individuals who are willing to help us with the job. They’re as eager as you are. With a few technological upgrades and the right group of people, we can at least attempt to find the giant and observe it from a distance.”

Hange begins hopping up and down before Molbit even finishes talking, small squealing noises coming from her mouth. “Molbit! I couldn’t have asked for a better coworker!” She exclaims while grabbing Molbit's shoulders, causing Molbit to avert his gaze in a startled fashion. However, Hange's excitement is short-lived as a provocative thought surfaces in her mind. She loosens her grip and steps away from her assistant, turning her back to the blond man and once again placing a hand beneath her chin. 

Her eyebrows scrunch in concentration and her mouth pulls into a frown. Brown eyes focus on nothing in particular as she tries to find a way around the wall in her mind, however, she finds no explanation for her queries. "Hange what is it?" Molbit asks, concerned at her drastic change in mood. 

"There's just... something that bothers me." She responds. Molbit waits patiently for her to continue. Giving up on finding a possible answer to her thoughts, she turns around to face the blonde once again, her gaze stone cold. Molbit takes notice as she lifts her glasses off her face and rests them on her forehead, an action she only does when something is truly bothering her. 

"If that creature's main food source is human meat, or living flesh in general, where has it been all this time and why has no one seen it before." She says, her expression completely serious. "It's clearly not an infant so it had to have existed a while before now." The scientist ponders. "And like I said earlier, its body isn't built to survive solely underwater. From what's shown in these pictures it doesn't have gills, nor any flippers that would allow easier movement." 

Molbit opens his mouth to speak but he can't seem to find the words. He, too, is stumped on the matter. Hange Zoe continues. "Could this creature be... far beyond human understanding?" She pauses. "Perhaps it floated here from Antarctica, frozen in a glacier from the prehistoric period, and somehow survived..." Hange shakes her head. "I feel like there's something we're missing. Something important, like a large piece of a puzzle." Of course, it's unlike Hange to give up on something so beyond her reach. Her words only seem to fire her up even more. A determined grin forms on her expression. "And I'm gonna figure out what it is." 

"Well, Hange." Molbit says, grasping her attention. He'd always been fond of her determination and persistence, even if it could become bothersome at times. "What are we waiting for?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, updating schedule! As of right now, I plan on having updates at least once a month. I feel that's a reasonable time gap since I'm writing over 5k words per chapter, along with six other fan-fictions on both my drafts and my posted works list. (Not to mention on various other websites) I'm not sure if this schedule will change in the future because online school has started recently and I plan on focusing my energy on my education. I'm sure that whatever happens, I'll still continue updating this! If that does change, however, I'll be sure to let you guys know!
> 
> In the meantime, what did you guys think of this chapter? I'd love to hear in the comments!
> 
> Edit: Lmfao I’m so sorry about some of the grammatical errors. I went through this again to try and correct some of them, but sorry if I missed any.


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